Photoprinting apparatus



Jan. 21, 1958 CHUNG SHU KWEI 2,820,404

' PHOTOPRINTING APPARATUS Filed Nov. 23, 1954 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN VENTOR.

BY cuu NG-SHUDKWEI Q W wfxmgg Jan. 21, 1958 CHUNG SHU KWEl 2,320,404

PHOTOPRINTING APPARATUS Filed NOV. 23, 1954 4 Sheets-Sheet TATE.

ooooocoooooflonl K INVENTOR.

BY CHUNG-SHU K WEI w w w vArr-TY) ENZE Y5 Jan. 21, 1958 CHUNG SHU. KWEIPHOTOPRINTING APPARATUS 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Nov. 23, 1954 bonusaonouoocoo IN VEN TOR.

BY CHUNG'SHU KWEI HTT'OENEYS vn ed St t s m? PHOTOPRINTING APPARATUSChung Shn Kwei, New Haven, Conn.

Application November 23, 1954, Serial No. 470,645

6 Claims. (Cl. 95-45) This invention relates to apparatus for use inphotographically composing characters to be printedv The new apparatusis an improvement of the apparatus disclosed in my copending applicationSerial No. 386,933, filed October 19, 1953, now U. S. Patent No.2,787,200 of which the present application is a continuation-inpart.

In my above-identified copending application, there is disclosed aphotoprinting apparatus comprising a hollow drum mounted for rotary andaxial movement. The periphery of the drum is formed by a transparentnegative having super-imposed arcuate rows of the characters to beprojected for photographing. A stationary light source is mounted at oneside of the drum periphery and a stationary exposure station at theother side, so that any of the characters can be photographed at theexposure station by adjusting the drum rotationally and axially so as toposition a selected character in the line of projection between thelight source and the exposure station. To facilitate adjustment of thedrum by the op erator, the drum is provided with an indexing memberhaving a pointer movable with the drum over a stationary rack having atable of characters similar to those on the drum negative and arrangedin similar arcuate rows. Thus, the pointer indicates on the stationaryrack the particular one of the characters on the negative which ispositioned for projection. An apparatus of this type has the advantageof simplicity, will accommodate a large number of characters, and can bequickly and easily adjusted for projecting the characters in the desiredsequence.

The present invention has particular reference to an apparatus of thistype having improved means for facilitating the selective positioning ofthe drum by the operator to project the characters in the desiredsequence,

and for assuring that each selected character on the negative will beaccurately-positioned between the light source and the exposure station.

An apparatus made according to the present invention comprises a drumhaving at one portion of its periphery a transparent negative providedwith arcuate rows of characters to be photographed, and at anotherportion of its periphery a table of characters corresponding to thenegative characters and arranged in arcuate rows similar to those on thenegative. A light source and an exposure station are mounted at oppositesides of the drum periphery; and the drum is supported on a mount forrotary and axial movement relative to the light source and exposurestation, so that a selected negative character on the drum can'bepositioned for projection upon the exposure, station by means of thelight source. A stationary index is mounted adjacent the drum peripheryand coacts with the table of characters to indicate thereon thecharacter corresponding to the negative character positioned for theprojecting operation. Preferably, the table characters are displacedangularly about the drum axis from the corresponding negativecharacters, the-index member having a similar angular displacement fromthe line of projection between the light source and the exposurestation, whereby the index can be used by the operator for selectivelypositioning the drum without interference from the photographic deviceformed by the exposure station and light source.

In the preferred construction, the drum mount includes a vertical memberor shaft on which the drum is movable axially and rotatable, and abiasing element is connected to the drum for urging it upward on thevertical shaft so as to counteract the weight of the drum. In this way,the biasing element permits axial adjustment of the drum on the verticalshaft but retains the drum in any axial position to which it is raisedor lowered. The biasing element preferably comprises a counterweightconnected to the drum and disposed in its lower portion, where it issupported by vertical posts or legs extending through the open bottomend of the drum, and the drum is supported on the vertical shaft bymeans of a hub, or the like, through which the shaft extends and whichis connected to the drum periphery intermediate the ends of the drum.With this structure, the drum may be conveniently arranged with thetable of characters, below the hub and the transparent negative abovethe hub, and the upper end of the drum may also be open to accommodatewiring for a light source mounted on the upper end of the shaft withinthe negative portion of the drum.

A further feature of the invention resides in means for facilitatingaccurate positioning of a selected negative character on the drum priorto the projecting operation. According to this feature, the apparatusincludes a stationary locking part, such as a vertical indexing stand,disposed adjacent the drum periphery, and a releasable locking elementcoacting with this part for locking the drum against both rotational andaxial displacement from a selected projecting position. Preferably, thedrum also has a locking part adjacent the stationary locking part, andone of these parts has a plurality of locking positions spacedlongitudinally of the drum and corresponding in number and spacing tothe arcuate rows in the table on the drum, while the other part has aplurality of locking positions spaced circumferentially of the drum andcorresponding in number and spacing to the characters in each arcuaterow. Thus, the drum can be locked only when a selected locking positionon the drum part is opposite a selected locking position on thestationary part, at which time the selected negative character on thedrum will be accurately positioned for projection upon the exposurestation. The locking positions on the drum and stationary parts may beformed by holes, so that the locking means may be in the form of areleasable pin engageable simultaneously in two selected holes of therespective parts to interlock the drum and the stationary part. In oneform of the invention, the photographing device formed by the lightsource and the exposure station is interconnected with the releasablelocking means for the drum, whereby the selected negative character canbe photographed only when the pin or other releasable locking element isin position to lock the drum. Since the locking element can be sopositioned only when a locking position on the drum is in alignment witha locking position on the indexing stand or other stationary part, aspreviously described, accurate positioning of the selected negativecharacter is ,assured.

These and other features of the invention will be better understood byreference to the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a frontelevational view of a preferred form of the new apparatus;

Fig. 2 is a top view of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view on the line 33 in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a development, on a reduced scale, of the peripheral surfaceof the drum, showing the arrangement of several sets of negativecharacters and corresponding tables of characters;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged vertical sectional view of the drum and the shafton which it is mounted, but omitting the biasing element for the drum;

Fig. 6 is a horizontal sectional view on the line 6-6 in Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is an enlarged vertical sectional view of the lower portion ofthe drum and the drum mount, showing the biasing element for the drum;

Figs. 8 and 9 are sectional views on the lines 8-8 and 9-9, respectivelyin Fig. 7;

Fig. 10 is a perspective view of part of the bottom end of the drum andthe stationary index stand, showing the locking means for the drum;

Fig. 11 is a side view, partly in vertical section, of the structureshown in Fig. 10, and

Fig. 12 is a view similar to Fig. 11, but on a reduced scale, showingthe interconnection between the drum locking means and the photographicdevice.

Referring to the drawings, the apparatus there shown comprises a base 15on which a hollow drum 16 is mounted for rotary and axial movement, theaxis of the drum being vertical. The peripheral surface of the drum 16is made of a flexible transparent sheet material, such as Plexiglas. Acamera 17 forms an exposure station outside the drum periphery oppositeits upper portion. The camera has a magazine 18 for the film or otherphotographic material, which is exposed through the camera lens andshutters and the pleated part 17a when the camera is operated. Thecamera and its magazine are mounted on a stationary support consistingof a platform 19 having three legs 20 secured to the base 15 at one sideof the drum 16. The shutters of the camera 17 may be of the Duoflextype, and the magazine 18 may be of the Graphlex Photorecord type. Thephotographic equipment 17-18 may be of the well-known type havingmechanism (not shown) which, under control of a manually operable member21, advances a strip of the photographic material in the magazine 18 toprevent a new film frame and actuates the camera shutters, so that eachoperation of the control member 21 will cause a new frame on thephotographic strip to be exposed. The operating member 21 may be a footpump connected through a pneumatic hose 21a to the photographicequipment 17-18 and located in front of the apparatus where it isreadily accessible to the operator.

Within the drum 16 is a light box 22 containing an electric lamp 23. Thelight box 22 is located opposite the lens of camera 17 and is heldstationary on a bracket 24 secured to the top of a vertical member 25mounted on the base 15 and forming a main supporting shaft for the drum16. The vertical shaft 25 is secured to the base 15 by means of afitting 25a, as shown particularly in Fig. 7. It will be understood thatthe parts 22-23 form a light source by means of which the image of acharacter on the adjacent part of the transparent drum periphery isprojected upon the exposure station formed by the camera 17.

As best shown in Fig. 5, the drum 16 comprises a bottom ring 27, a topring 28, and an intermediate ring 29. The transparent sheet forming thedrum periphery is folded around these rings and secured to them in anysuitable manner, as by cementing, the opposing edges of the transparentsheet being secured together by means of a grooved strip 16a. The rings27 and 28 form open ends of the drum. The intermediate ring 29, however,is connected by radial spokes 30 to a central hub 31 which is brazed orotherwise secured to a metal sleeve 32 withinthe hub. Sleeve 32 receivesthe vertical shat: 25, which has a close sliding fit in the sleeve andprojects upwardly through the latter to the bracket 24 for the lightsource. As shown in Fig. 5, the upper end of sleeve 32 terminates nearthe central hub 31, while the lower end of the sleeve projects throughthe open bottom of the drum.

The lower portion of the drum 16 is marked into squares 34 on itsperiphery, and these squares contain the various characters to beprinted (not shown), such as letters of the alphabet, numbers, etc.Thus, the characters are arranged in arcuate rows extendingcircumferentially around the drum periphery and. superimposed one abovethe other. The upper portion 35 of the drum periphery forms a negativeprovided with arcuate rows of the characters to be photographed (notshown). These negative characters correspond to the characters on thelower portion 34 of the drum and are arranged in arcuate rows similar tothe rows formed by the squared-off portion 34. In other words, the lowerportion 34 of the drum forms a table of characters which duplicates thearrangement of negative characters on the upper portion 35 of the drum.

While the squares and their contained negative char acters on the upperportion 35 of the drum are not read- 'ily visible, due to this upperportion being a negative, I have shown in Fig. 4 a preferred arrangementof the character squares on both the negative and table portions of thedrum. As shown in Fig. 4, the negative or upper portion of the drumperiphery 35 is divided into four sets of characters, these sets beingdesignated A, B, C and D and each occupying a angle of the drumperiphery. The lower or table portion 34 of the drum is divided intofour sets of characters A, B, C and D, which correspond, respectively,to the negative sets A, B, C and D. It will be observed that each of thecharacter sets on the negative portion 35 is displaced 90 from thecorresponding character set on the table portion 34. Consequently, whenone of the negative sets A, B, C or D is positioned between the lightsource 23 and the camera 17 at one side of the drum, the correspondingcharacter set of the table 34 will be positioned in front of the drumwhere it is used for selecting the particular negative character to bephotographed, as will be described in more detail presently. Thecharacters of the sets AA, may be small letters of an alphabet, those ofB-B' may be capital letters, those of the sets C-C may be numbers, andthose of the sets D-D' may be letters which are less frequently usedthan those in the other sets. In any case, the drum can accommodate alarge number of different characters arranged in one or more matchingsets on the table portion 34 and negative portion 35, so that theapparatus is well suited for photographic printing in languages havinglarge numbers of characters in the alphabet.

Secured to the base 15 are four vertical posts 37 which extend upwardthrough the open bottom of the drum and support at their upper ends across bar 38, as shown in Figs. 7-9. The cross bar 38 has pulleys 39mounted in recesses in the cross bar, the pulleys being arranged atdiametrically opposite sides of the vertical shaft 25 which extendsthrough the cross bar. Below the cross bar 38 is a biasing element inthe form of a counterweight 40 having a central opening through whichthe shaft 25 and sleeve 32 extend. The counterweight 40 is secured atopposite ends to wires 41 extending upwardly over the outer pulleys 39,then radially inward and over the inner pulleys 39, and then downwardthrough the cross bar 38 and counterweight 40 to the outer race of aball bearing assembly 42. The inner race of the bearing 42 has a closesliding fit around the vertical shaft 25 and supports the lower end ofsleeve 32. With this arrangement, the drum 16 may be rotated on thevertical shaft 25 without affecting the counterweight 40, and the latterwill hold the drum 16 in any vertical position to which it is adjustedby sliding the sleeve 32 up or down on shaft 25. In other words, thecounterweight) operates through 5 the wires 41 and bearing 42 to urgethe drum upward so as to counteract the weight of the drum. Thus, thedrum can be easily adjusted both rotationally and axially, as bygrasping the bottom portion of the drum periphery and turning the drumor raising or lowering it.

An indexing stand 44 is mounted in front of the drum 16 on the base andforms a stationary locking part for the drum. As shown in Figs. 1 and10, the indexing stand 44 has a series of vertically spaced holes 44awhich form locking positions corresponding in number and spacing to thecircumferential rows of characters in the table portion 34 of the drum.The bottom ring 27 of the drum also constitutes a locking part havingholes 270 forming locking positions spaced circumferentially of the drumand corresponding in number and spacing to the characters in eachcircumferential row on the drum. A pin 45 is adapted to be insertedthrough two aligned holes 44a and 27a to lock the drum to the indexingstand 44. Thus, the pin 45' constitutes a releasable locking element forlocking the drum only when one of its holes 27a is aligned with one ofthe holes 4401, such alignment taking place only when a selectednegative character on the drum portion 35 is accurately positionedbetween the light source 23 and the camera 17.

It will be understood that there are as many combinations of two holesin the parts 27 and 44 as there are characters on each of the drumportions 34 and 35.

A transverse bar 46 of transparent material, such as lexiglas, issecured to the upper end of the indexing stand 44. At one end, the bar46 is attached to one of the legs 29, and at the other end it isattached to a relatively short leg 47 on the base 15. The cross bar 46as thus supported extends in an are partly around the periphery of lowerportion 34 of the drum but is spaced slightly from the drum. On thecross bar 46 directly above the stand 44 is an index 48 which, as shownin Fig. 1, consists of lines marked on the cross bar and forming asquare of the same size as the squares marked on the table portion 34 ofthe drum. Since the bar 46 is transparent, the part of table 34 directlybehind the index 48 is visible to the operator so that he can align anyparticular square on the table with the square of the index 48. Toincrease the visibility of the character within the particular tablesquare which is thus aligned with the index square 4%, a magnifyingglass 48a, such as a linen tester, is secured to the cross bar 46 overthe index 48.

The drum 16 is provided with a trailer which moves vertically with thedrum along the indexing stand 44 to indicate the particular hole 44a inwhich the locking pin 45 is to be inserted to lock the drum. As shownparticularly in Figs. 10 and 11, the trailer comprises a wire loop 49extending around the front and sides of the stand 44, then under thebottom ring 27 of the drum, and then upward and outward along the top ofthis ring to form a hook. The wire loop 49 is provided with rollers 50contacting the stand 44 and ring 27, to reduce friction between theparts. The drum 16 can be rotated freely without moving the trailer 49,but the front portion of the trailer will follow the vertical movementsof the drum. As shown in Fig. t0, the proper hole 44a for insertion ofthe locking pin 45 is the first hole above the front roller 50 of thetrailer.

Referring now to Fig. 12, a post 52 extends upward through the openbottom of the drum from the base of the apparatus. This post is locatedbetween the index stand 44 and the drum axis. At its upper portion, thepost 52 carries a pair of electrical contacts 53 mounted in aninsulating block 54 and connected to conducting wires 55. Directly infront of the post 52 is a vertical spring strip 56 secured to the baseof the apparatus and having at its upper portion an insulating member56a. A conducting plate 57 is secured to the insulating member 56aopposite the contacts 53. When the pin 45 is inserted in a pair ofaligned holes in the parts 44-27, the inner end of the pin engages thespring strip 56 and forces the conducting plate 57 against contacts 53,so as to bridge these contacts; and when the .pin 45 is withdrawn fromits locking position, the spring strip 56 returns the conducting plate57 to its normal position so as to open the switch formed by thecontacts 53. This return movement of the spring strip 56 is limited by ahook 52a at the top of the post 52.

The wires 55 connect the contacts 53 into the circuit 58 of an electricmotor 59. This motor drives a compressor pump 60 connected through thepneumatic hose Zia to the photographic equipment 1718. When the motorcircuit 53 is closed, the camera 17 operates automatically to actuatethe camera shutters and expose a film frame to an image projected by thelight source 23. The motor circuit 58 may be controlled by a manuallyoperable switch 61 located near the indexing stand 44, or it may becontrolled entirely by the switch 5357 which is actuated by thereleasable locking means for the drum. In either case, the switch 5357will prevent exposure of a film frame at the exposure station 17 untilthe particular character to be photographed has been accuratelypositioned by insertion of the pin 45 into the correspondingalignedholes in the parts 44-27.

It will be apparent from the fioregoing that the new apparatus is ofsimple construction and yet can be operated quickly and easily withassurance that each negative character is properly located forphotographing by the camera 17. The photographing device including thecamera 17 and light source 23 is displaced from the region where theoperator sets the drum 16 at the front of the apparatus, so that thephotographing device cannot interfere with the drum setting operations;but at the same time, the operating element 21 (or 61) for the photographing device may be conveniently located at the front of theapparatus where it is readily accessible to:

the operator. he open ends of the drum 16 make it possible toaccommodate the counterweight 4t) and the switching means 53-57 withinthe drum and enable the wiring 23a for the light source to be led intothe drum through the top. The operator can readily position any desirednegative character for photographing by adjusting the drum rotationallyand vertically until the corresponding character on the table portion 34appears in the index square 48, and then inserting the locking pin 45into the appropriate hole 44a (as indicated by the trailer 49) and thehole 27a aligned therewith. The trailer 49 will assist the operator inobtaining the proper vertical positioning of the drum for insertion ofthe pin 45, by the position of the trailer relative to the next hole 44abelow that in which the pin is to be inserted. To facilitate the properangular positioning of the drum, for insertion of the pin 45,transparent cross bar 46 may be provided with an index mark 62 (Fig. 1)so positioned that when the drum 34 is in the proper angular adjustment,the right-hand edge of the mark. 62 coincides with the left-hand edge ofone of the squares 34, such as the fourth square from the square 34behind the index 48.

Also, the cross bar 46 may have another index mark 62a so positionedthat when the drum is in the proper vertical adjustment, the upper edgeof mark 624:. coincides with the bottom edge of one of the squares 34.

I claim:-

1 In a photographic apparatus for composing printed matter and the like,the combination of a drum havingprojected by the light source, the drumbeing axially and rotatably adjustable on its mount relative to saidsource and station to position a selected negative character for saidprojection, a stationary index mounted adjacent the drum periphery andcoacting with said table to indicate the character thereon correspondingto the negative character positioned for said projection, a stationarylocking part disposed adjacent the drum periphery and having a pluralityof holes spaced longitudinally of the drum and corresponding in numberand spacing to the arcuate rows in said table, the drum having a lockingpart provided with a plurality of holes spaced circumferentially of thedrum and corresponding in number and spacing to the characters in eacharcuate row, and a releasable pin engageable simultaneously in twoselected holes of the respective parts for interlocking said parts.

2. A combination according to claim 1, comprising also a trailer carriedby the drum and movable therewith longitudinally along said stationarypart to indicate the locking hole therein corresponding to a selectedaxial position of the drum.

3. A combination according to claim 1, comprising also a trailer carriedby the drum and movable therewith longitudinally along said stationarypart to indicate the locking hole therein corresponding to a selectedaxial position of the drum, the trailer engaging the stationary part toprevent lateral movement of the trailer relative to said last part, andthe trailer having a hook, the drum having an internal ring at one andengaged by said hook.

'4. In a photographic apparatus for composing printed matter and thelike, the combination of a drum having at one portion of its periphery anegative provided with arcuate rows of characters to be photographed,the drum having at another portion of its periphery a table ofcharacters corresponding to said first characters and arranged inarcuate rows similar to said first rows, a drum mount on which the drumis rotatable on its axis and movable longitudinally of said axis, alight source disposed at one side of the drum periphery, an exposurestation mounted at the opposite side of the drum periphery in positionto receive an image of one of said negative characters projected by thelight source, the drum being axially and rotatably adjustable on itsmount relative to said source and station to position a selectednegative character for said projection, a stationary index mountedadjacent the drum periphery and coacting with said table to indicate thecharacter thereon corresponding to the negative character positioned forsaid projection, the exposure station including a camera for receivingthe projected image, the camera and light source forming a photographingdevice, the combination comprising also a stationary locking partdisposed adjacent the drum periphery, a releasable locking elementcoacting with said part for locking the drum against both rotatable andaxial displacement from a selected projecting position, and operatingmeans connected to the photographing device for operating it only whensaid locking element is in locking position, said operating meansincluding a switch actuatable by said locking element in response tomovement thereof to its locking position.

' 5. In a photographic apparatus for composing printed matter and thelike, the combination of a drum having at one portion of its periphery anegative provided with arcuate rows of characters to be photographed,the drum having at another portion of its periphery a table of iii]characters corresponding to said first characters and ar-', ranged inarcuate rows similar to said first rows, a drummount on which the drumis rotatable on its axis and? movable longitudinally of said axis, alight source disposed at one side of the drum periphery, an exposurestation mounted at the opposite side of the drum periphery in positionto receive an image of one of said negative characters projected by thelight source, the drum being axially and rotatably adjustable on itsmount relative, to said source and station to position a selectednegative character for said projection, a stationary index mountedadjacent the drum periphery and coacting with said table to indicate thecharacter thereon corresponding to the negative character positioned forsaid projection, the;v drum having a vertical axis, a verticalindexing'stand mounted adjacent the drum periphery and. supporting,-said "index, the stand having vertically spaced holes cor- E respondingin number and spacing to the arcuate rows of said table, the drum havingcircumferentially spaced. holes corresponding in number and spacing tothe characters in each arcuate row, and a releasable. pin engageablesimultaneously in two selected holes of the stand and drum,respectively, for locking the drum in a selected projecting position.

6. In a photographic apparatus for composing printed matter and thelike, the combination of a drum having at one portion of its periphery anegative provided with arcuate rows of characters to be photographed,the drum having at another portion of its periphery a table ofcharacters corresponding to said first characters and arranged inarcuate rows similar to said first rows, a. drum mount on which the drumis rotatable on its axis and movable longitudinally of said axis, alight source disposed at one side of the drum periphery, an exposurestation mounted at the opposite side of the drum periph cry in positionto receive an image of one of said negative characters projected by thelight source, the drum being axially and rotatably adjustable on itsmount relative,

to said source and station to position a selected negative character forsaid projection, a stationary index mounted adjacent the drum peripheryand coacting with said table to indicate the character thereoncorresponding to the. negative character positioned for said projection,the drum having a vertical axis, a vertical indexing stand periphery andsupporting said index, the stand having vertically spaced holescorremounted adjacent the drum sponding in number and spacing to arcuaterows of said table, the drum having circumferentially spaced holescorresponding in number and spacing to the characters in each arcuaterow, a transparent member extending laterally from the stand and havingan index adjacent said table for indicating vertical alignment of a drumhole with the stand holes, and a releasable pin engageablesimultaneously in two selected holes of the stand and drum,respectively, for locking the drum in a selected projecting position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS MooreMar. 21, 1944

